Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the field of microscopes that have an image pasting function.
Description of the Related Art
A technique has conventionally been known in which a plurality of frame images captured in different image pickup areas are pasted together so as to generate one large pasted-together image.
For example, an image-pasting technique is known in which frame images are captured at respective positions while moving an electrically-powered stage that carries a sample for prescribed distances so as to paste the frame images together on the basis of the position coordinates specified for the electrically-powered stage when the electrically-powered stage is moved. However, the above technique based on specified position coordinates is not free from an error between the actual position coordinates of the electrically-powered stage after moving and the position coordinates specified for the electrically-powered stage, resulting in positional shifts when images are pasted together. That leads to accumulation of positional shifts for each pasting caused by errors between the actual position coordinates of the electrically-powered stage after moving and the specified position coordinates, which is problematic.
As a different image-pasting technique that can solve the above problem, a technique is known that uses a matching method in which a characteristic point is detected from an overlapping portion between adjacent frame images so as to paste images together on the basis of the characteristic point. (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-141699 describes above technique.)